Latest Featured Hunting Articles

How to Accurately Judge Target DistanceA gentle breeze lazily wafted the tall blades of fescue to and fro across my field of view. Muscles tensed and eyes straining to focus on my target, I was confident I could make the shot. What bothered me was my less-than-perfect ability to accurately judge the long-range distances. I was certain the pronghorn was over 200 yards but just how much further was unknown. In my opinion, antelope are one of the most difficult animals to shoot at; not because they're particularly elusive, but due to their size and where they live. Wide open spaces and a relatively small target can make for deceptive shooting.

Scouting Camera BasicsThe advent of the digital trail camera has probably done more to change the way people scout than any other product. Nothing solves the mystery of what went down a trail better than an image of that exact animal and incorporating the trail camera technology into your scouting arsenal can greatly improve your success.

Whitetail Scents & Sensibility"Always hunt into the wind" - Sage words of wisdom, this is perhaps the single most important tip any neophyte hunter learns at the outset of their hunting career. Deer rely heavily on their sense of smell. So it stands to reason that if we're to avoid detection, we should use the wind in our favor. Combine this with the appropriate use of scents or scent-blockers, and you're off to the races!

Capture Your Memories: Tips for Photographing Your HuntsEvery now and then I find a quiet place, plunk myself down, and leaf through my photo albums. Each holds a library of cherished memories. These sacred books are treasured diaries of my most personal hunting experiences and accomplishments. With today's digital technology, it's easier now than ever before, to capture and file those memories in perpetuity.

Extreme Scent ControlEvery hunter alive has probably read, heard or watched on television about the importance of personal scent control. It has been drilled into our heads to wash our clothes in unscented detergents and wash our bodies with soaps produced specifically with the big game hunter in mind. Unfortunately, there are still some hunters out there that know very little about the subject, and others that are still disbelievers as to how important it is to eliminate as much human related odors as possible. They feel that they have been successful without following a scent control program and using such products, so they believe it is all hype.

Ready or Not, Here I ComeAs a bowhunter, I spend most of my spring and summer dreaming about the return of fall. It may appear on the outside that I'm in a thoughtless daze, but inside my mind is filled with a longing for the solitude and joy that can only be found 20 feet up a tree. Then one day, it inevitably happens. I walk by the calendar and realize that deer season is quickly approaching. The adrenaline starts pumping, but I take a deep breath and try to take the steps to ensure a safe and successful season.

Field Judging PronghornsPronghorn antelope can be difficult to judge on the hoof. I was reminded of this on a recent antelope hunt in Wyoming. Three younger bucks and one mature buck mingled with the group of a dozen does near a waterhole. My wife, Heather, and I had looked at so many that we were beginning to question our judgement... they were all beginning to look similar. I had to force myself to carefully analyze subtle features.

Statistics and the HunterI'm not much of a gambler and like to know my odds, including knowing my chances on a hunting trip. With that in mind my fingers tightened on my bowstring as a group of twenty caribou passed my brush blind late on last year's Alaskan hunt. They were mostly cows and calves, with one small bull hanging in the back of the pack.

End of Summer Food Plot?When most people think of planting food plots, they envision planting them during the months of May or June, and then watching their crops grow throughout the spring and summer months. Many don't view the dog days of summer as a time to be planting food plots. Most deer hunters plant the usual varieties of plants to give their local deer the extra nutrients to encourage healthy body weights and antler growth. Unfortunately, most of the hunters really aren't providing their local deer the well rounded, yearly feed that they should be providing.

Surviving Mother Nature: Remember the FSFS RuleHave you ever been in a survival situation? Most of us have not. Would you know how to survive in the wilderness in a crisis? Believe it or not, most of us would not. With the advent of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) we've been lulled into a false sense of security, thinking that we can escape any predicament by following our handy little electronic devices to safety. While basic wilderness survival skills were commonly learned by generations before us, recent generations are much less savvy in this regard. As hunters, our activities often take us into remote areas. It behooves us to learn the essential skills required to survive if we ever find ourselves stranded in the wild.

Deer Diary: How to Keep a Hunting JournalTwentieth Century philosopher George Santayana once said, "Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it." Chances are he wasn't thinking about deer hunting when he spoke those words, but the principal still applies, none-the-less. If you are like me, just remembering what happened on your last hunt is challenging enough. Being able to recall specific details of the hunts from years past would be dang near impossible without having some type of written account. That is why a hunting journal can be such a great resource for the serious deer hunter.

Choosing a Hunting BulletThinking back several decades, I remember one of my early visits to a gun shop. I was hoping to buy some ammunition for a new hunting rifle. Leaning over the gun counter, I was confused. Subconsciously scratching my head, I wasn't sure what to do next. I scanned from left to right, then back and forth several times. The first thing I noticed was the labeling. "Fine," I thought to myself, "I'll start with a popular brand." Names like Winchester, Federal, and Remington were familiar. As a neophyte hunter, it was all so new and, frankly, a bit overwhelming.

13 Ways to an Unsuccessful HuntWe have all read articles and watched TV shows that have shown us how to do certain things to have a successful hunt. But how did the people that were handing out all that advice come to have such knowledge? All of us have been handed information in various forms on how to be successful whether it was from our elders, television, articles, books or other sources and the information that any of us have learned at some point or another, has come from trial and error.

Mounting Your Own Turkey Tail and BeardAs I pulled the trigger on a 25-pound gobbler strutting down the end of my gun barrel, I had visions of his stunning tail and ground-dragging beard adorning the wall of my den. I could already feel the memories of the hunt rushing through my mind each time I passed by the handsome display. I approached the downed bird and took care to preserve every feather as I carried him to the truck. When I arrived at the taxidermist, my thoughts of which wall I was going to hang the fan mount on were interrupted by the shocking $150 price tag. I never envisioned paying so much for something that looked so simple. Fact is, mounting a turkey tail and beard is simple.

Building a Big Game HunterTeaching Children to Love the Outdoors
Across the nation, there is a concern about declines in the number of hunters. In addition to a significant drop in license and tax revenues, there are worries that the decline could eventually change the relationship between humans and wildlife.

Spot & Stalk Black Bear Hunting StrategiesIt was the middle of May. My wife, Heather, had done a perfect stalk on an average-sized cinnamon phase bear early in the afternoon. A wonderful trophy in its own right, she was still hoping to fill her second Alberta bear tag on a big old black. With a little luck and some good strategy we hoped to accomplish this all in the same day. In turn, we invested the next several hours scouring the countryside in search of a bigger bruin. Her cinnamon was taken at just 60 yards on a small patch of lush clover, the only one we could locate for several miles in either direction.

Hunting High-Pressured LongbeardsThe first rays of the morning sun had just cleared the trees and began to cast a glow on the field of native warm-season grass as we quickly set up on our second turkey of the morning. Our first attempt had been foiled when our decoys were out-competed by a group of eight hens and a jake, keeping the gobbler just out of gun range. Now, just 20 minutes later, we were repositioned along the edge of the same field trying feverishly to spot the source of intense gobbling. With every series of yelps and clucks, the old tom would quickly remind us that he was patiently awaiting our arrival.

Branching Out For Timber TurkeysWhen most of us think of turkey hunting, we picture green fields and forest edges alive with songbirds and new leaves. This, after all, is where we generally set up our ambushes. It's where the classic game is played. But there are times when turkeys don't want to play the classic game - at least not out in the open.

Bowhunting Alaskan CaribouAs I lowered the 10X40 binoculars I'd been staring through all day, my peripheral vision detected a rather large clump of hair moving my way. Immediately two realizations came to mind. First, the hair was on the back of an animal way too wide to be a moose. Second, it was time to make a quiet, yet hasty retreat. A pretty good-sized grizzly materialized about ten steps away. Luckily, I was on a bank that was higher than the than the bear's eye level, and was able to quietly get out of the area and leave him to go about his business. One thing is for sure, you never run into a grizzly bear while hunting antlered game where I live!

Affording Africa"Africa," "The Dark Continent." Both are names that conjure up visions of giant elephants, lions, thatch huts, comfortable tents camps, and all of the dangers and excitements that go along with them. For some, those visions are more than just passing images; they are a fantasy or a burning desire to experience all that Africa has to offer in the form of an African Safari. Unfortunately, many hunters don't get to experience what Africa has to offer- not because it is financially out of reach, but because they THINK it's financially out of reach.

There is something about the look and feel of a bolt action rifle with a walnut stock that pleases me. Call me old fashioned, but the character of the rifle I choose to own is equally as important to me as how that rifle performs.
I’ll be the first to admit that the lack of weight in a carbon fiber stock is awfully nice when chasing elk in high country and that any synthetic could help a bit when mother natured decides to rain on your parade. My own preference, however, is to...